Can Colts' rookie RB DJ Giddens add a pass-catching presence out of backfield?
Can running back DJ Giddens give the Indianapolis Colts an added pass-catching presence out of the backfield?
This is an element that the Colts didn't really have last season. Backup running backs Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson saw very few opportunities, in general, throughout the year. Jonathan Taylor, meanwhile, totaled just 136 receiving yards, which ranked 50th out of 58 eligible backs, and he was 37th in targets.
Having the running back position able to impact the passing game, to some degree, would provide defenses with another dimension to this Colts' offense that they would have to account for and could open up the playbook for Shane Steichen.
During Giddens' time at Kansas State, first and foremost, he was a ball carrier, but he does have experience in the passing game as well.
Over Giddens' final two seasons, he was targeted 72 times and totaled almost 600 receiving yards with four touchdowns. In 2024, Giddens' impressive 12.9 yards per catch ranked 11th among running backs, per PFF.
As we've seen in the running game, Giddens has an impressive ability to make defenders miss, and the passing game can amplify that ability if plays are designed to get him the ball in space.
"He's going to hit his ceiling in the passing game," said Colts' area scout Tyler Hughes via the Indy Star. "He's shown enough on tape, as far as a receiver, where he can make guys miss in the open field and run some routes and catch the ball reliably."
Both Hughes and Chris Ballard have acknowledged that Giddens does have to improve in pass protection--which they believe he will do--but that is going to be a prerequisite when it comes to getting more opportunities on the field in those obvious passing situations.
Taylor, of course, is going to continue to get a heavy workload, and I don't think anyone expects the running back in this offense, regardless of who it is, to become a go-to target through the air. But if Giddens can help provide a more steady presence in this phase of the game, that's a new wrinkle in this Colts' offense for the 2025 season.
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